Emmett Barnacle
Emmett Barnacle Glass Sculpture
Emmett Barnacle was born in Providence Rhode Island in 1988. He began working in glass in
2007 with Pean Doubulyu Glass and and then with artist Steven Weinberg before attending
Rhode Island School of Design and graduating in 2014 with a BFA in Glass. After graduation he
began his own studio in Pawtucket Rhode Island. Other than working on his own work Emmett
has worked as a technical assistant for glass artist and sculptor Daniel Clayman for the past few
years as well as other freelance work for other artist.
Architecture has always had a significant influence on me, shaped in part by my experience living
in the city. Through this lens, my work explores subjects ranging from personal memory and the
concept of home to human habitats and our evolving relationships with the environments we
inhabit. Featuring architectural scenes cast in glass, my work merges elements from the past with
ideas drawn from fiction and imagination, creating playful moments in place of traditional
representations.I’m drawn to imagery that evokes both arrival and departure—visual cues that
quietly ask, “Where are we going?” I celebrate color, texture, and beauty through depictions of
ancient ruins, doors, windows, blueprints, lighthouses, ships, and other symbols tied to the sea
and my New England roots.
My sculptures begin by sculpting wax models that allow me to shape architectural and boat forms through imagination and intuition. Using the ancient lost-wax technique, each wax model is invested, melted out, and cast in glass at temperatures reaching 1500°F. After casting, I refine every piece through extensive cold-working- cutting, grinding, and polishing the surfaces to reveal clarity, depth and details embedded within the glass. This labor-intensive process mirrors the layered histories of the structures that inspire me, transforming architectural memory into luminous form.
Education
• Rhode Island School Of Design, Providence, RI, BFA Glass 2014
Exhibitions
2025
• Celebrate 25, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
• Community Show, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
• Beacon, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
2024
• Summer Member and Newly Elected Artist Show, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
• 84 Fountain Street Community Show, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
2023
• Cutting Edge Glass, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA
• AACG Metro Glass Group, Collectors Tour and Show, Pawtucket, RI
• Craft a Force in Contemporary Art, Site:Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
• Sculpture Now: Art 2 the 3rd Dimension, Art League of RI, Pawtucket, RI
2021
• A Generous Kingdom V, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
• Viral Glass, www.viralglass.org, Habatat Galleries, Royal Oaks, MI
• Art League of Rhode Island Summer Member Show, Pawtucket, RI
• 31st international Juried Show, Viridian Artists, New York, New York
• 2021 Member Exhibition, New Bedford Museum of Art, New Bedford, MA
2020
• A Generous Kingdom IV, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
• A New Year, A New Vision, Stern Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
• Gallery Night Providence Juried Show, Sprout CoWorks, Providence, RI
• Social Distancing International Juried Virtual Exhibition, Michael Rose Fine Art, Providence, RI
• Nor' Easter Exhibition, New Britain Museum Of American Art, New Britain, CT
• Qua-ART-tine, Jamestown Art Center, Jamestown , RI
2019
• New Glass / New England, Worcester Center for Craft, Worcester, MA
• Providence Country Day Alumni Art Show, East Providence, RI
•SCAA 32nd annual National Juried Exhibition, Powder Springs, GA
• Conroe Art League 4th National Invitational Show, Conroe, TX
• Galex 53 Exhibition, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, IL
• Art League of RI Spring Members Show, The Vets Gallery, Providence RI
• Salaan Magazine First Edition show in print
2018
•Webster Art Open Themed 2018. Webster Arts, Saint Louis, MO
•Mixmaster @ The Matt, The Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT
•Facing the Wall, Art League of Rhode Island, The Vets Gallery, Providence, RI
•30th of September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA
•Cutting Edge: Nontraditional Glass, Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA
•South Cobb Art Alliance 31st annual National Juried Exhibition, Mableton, GA
•Beginnings, Kat Payge Art, Denver, CO
•Chasing Ghosts, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR
•Providence Country Day Alumni Art Show, East Providence, RI
•CCAN2018, Center For Contemporary Arts, Albaline, TX
•Generous Kingdoms III, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR
2017
• 30 under 30, Viridian Artists, 548 West 28th Street, New York, NY
•30th of September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA
• Selfies and Self-Portraits, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
•Intersections, Architecture and Nature , The Chazan Gallery, Providence, RI
•Bombay Saphire: Bombay Artisan Series, www.bombayartisan.com
2016
•2016 Art Alliance of Contemporary Glass Rhode Island Trip, Pawtucket, RI
2015
•New Directions 15′ : Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
2014
•RISD Glass Senior Show, Woods Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
•Don’t Blow it : RISD Glass Senior Thesis Show, 77 Eddy St, Providence, RI
2013
•RISD Glass Triennial, Woods Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
Profesional/Teaching Experience
2007
• Intern- Pean Doubulyu Glass, Providence, RI
2009-2010
• Intern- Steven Weinberg Glass, Pawtucket, RI
2011-2016
• Technical Assistant- Steven Easton Cast Glass, Pawtucket, RI
2014-present
• Technical Assistant, Daniel Clayman, East Providence, RI
2019
• Teaching, Intro to Cast Glass, Providence Country Day School, East Providence, RI
2023
• Mentor/Teaching, Senior Project Internship, Providence Country Day School, East Providence, RI
Notable Collections
• Stalactite Chandelier, Bellevue House, Newport, RI
• Turks Head, GoLocalProv, Providence, RI
• Door, Residential Properties LTD, Providence, RI
Glass Workshops
2008
• RISD CE Beginning Glassblowing with Bill Riker
2009
• Mass Art CE intro to Cold Working With Mary Ann Babula
2010
• CMOG Intro to Flame Working and Bead Making with Caitlyn Hyde
2011
• CMOG Beginner Flame Working with Tim Drier
2012
• CMOG Intermediate Glassblowing with Boyd Sugiki and Lisa Zerkowitz
2013
• CMOG Making Glass Color with Richard Golding
